Holbrook Overlook trailhead grand opening
The view of Whitefish Lake from the Holbrook Overlook. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
The new Holbrook Overlook trailhead, as part of the Whitefish Trail system, provides stunning views of the Flathead Valley from the overlook picnic area and 3.8 miles of multi-use trails.
The new trailhead was recently completed and Whitefish Legacy Partners, who manages the Whitefish Trail, is hosting a grand opening celebration of the Holbrook Overlook on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. Festivities will include ribbon cutting, drinks and refreshments, a scavenger hunt and kids’ activities.
The new trail comes from a partnership between Flathead National Forest, Whitefish Legacy Partners and the City of Whitefish. The newest section of the Whitefish Trail and Tally Lake Ranger District trails expands front country public access and reconnects the community with the historic USFS Holbrook Overlook.
Construction of the new trailhead, overlook area and trails was made possible by the public-private partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and Whitefish Trail, and is the first phase of recreation development under the USFS Taylor-Hellroaring Project.
The roughly $400,000 construction project has leveraged federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, State of Montana funding from the Recreational Trails Grant Program, and private sources including grants from the National Forest Foundation and Athletic Brewing Co., and individual donations from the Great Fish Community Challenge and major donors.
Holbrook Overlook is located at 2930 Big Mountain Road in Whitefish, just up the road from the Whitefish Trail Big Mountain Trailhead.
The Whitefish Trail is the anchor project of Whitefish Legacy Partners, a non-profit organization, and the result of collaborative partnerships providing public access and recreation while protecting clean water, thriving forests and prime wildlife habitat on open lands in the urban interface of Whitefish. The Whitefish Trail is currently 47 miles accessed by 15 trailheads just steps from town.
For more information, visit www.whitefishlegacy.org or call 406-862-3880 or email info@whitefishlegacy.org.